Compare towns
Cape Elizabeth vs Freeport vs Ogunquit vs Bar Harbor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cape Elizabeth has the most kids (26% under 18).
Freeport has the most affordable homes ($508k median).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
Bar Harbor has the shortest commute (20 min average).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Cape Elizabeth | Freeport | Ogunquit | Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 9,606Highest |
8,802 |
1,379Lowest |
5,244 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% ME: +2.6% |
+10.9% ME: +2.6% |
+76.8%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-2.8%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 47.4±3.3Lowest 6% above ME |
48.8±4.3 9% above ME |
62.8±4.8Highest 40% above ME |
49.2±5.9 10% above ME |
| Kids under 18 | 26%±4.7Highest ME: 18.1% |
19.4%±3.5 ME: 18.1% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest ME: 18.1% |
11.9%±3.8 ME: 18.1% |
| Cape Elizabeth and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 25.7%±4.2 ME: 22.4% |
26.7%±4.9 ME: 22.4% |
43.6%±10.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
25.1%±5Lowest ME: 22.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 74.1%Highest ME: 36.2% |
59.6%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
63.5% ME: 36.2% |
68.3% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.1Lowest ME: 5.8% |
5%±2.3 ME: 5.8% |
4.2%±2.8 ME: 5.8% |
10.8%±2.9Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $145,821±$8kHighest 95% above ME |
$107,326±$19k 44% above ME |
$114,259±$56k 53% above ME |
$77,180±$26kLowest 3% above ME |
| Cape Elizabeth and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,600±$53k 147% above ME |
$508,400±$76kLowest 71% above ME |
$875,700±$79kHighest 195% above ME |
$538,400±$94k 82% above ME |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,185±$275Highest 92% above ME |
$1,439±$123 26% above ME |
— | $1,106±$351Lowest about the ME average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,637Highest 152% above ME |
$5,042 66% above ME |
$4,473 47% above ME |
$4,279Lowest 41% above ME |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.2%±19.9 ME: 48.4% |
62%±18.9Highest ME: 48.4% |
0%±61.1Lowest ME: 48.4% |
41.6%±17.6 ME: 48.4% |
| Freeport and Bar Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 5.2% ME: 10.7% |
8.5% ME: 10.7% |
3.2%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
10.1%Highest ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88% ME: 74.3% |
77.6% ME: 74.3% |
94.3%Highest ME: 74.3% |
74.5%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1967Lowest 10 yrs older than ME |
1984 7 yrs newer than ME |
1978 1 yr newer than ME |
1985Highest 8 yrs newer than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 13% below ME |
24 min 4% below ME |
26 minHighest 7% above ME |
20 minLowest 20% below ME |
| Work from home | 31.9%±6.6 ME: 15.9% |
21.2%±5.8Lowest ME: 15.9% |
43.3%±12.4Highest ME: 15.9% |
21.9%±8.9 ME: 15.9% |
| Ogunquit and Cape Elizabeth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #1 of 133 in ME | #4 of 133 in ME | — | #2 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Cape Elizabeth Public Schools | RSU 05 | — | Bar Harbor Public Schools · Mt Desert CSD |
| High school in town | Cape Elizabeth High School | Freeport High School | — | Mt Desert Island High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.5 |
12.2Highest |
— | 8.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.